The Joys of Hoenn
by Emerald Ekans
Summary: Brendan begins traveling with May, a somewhat stubborn girl that wants to become a great Pokemon Trainer just like he does. Read as they travel throughout the Hoenn and as possible bonds grow stronger. (Hoennshipping included) Chapter Seven added. I REFUSE TO HAVE IT DISCONTINUED, JUST WAIT. (owo;)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there readers! This first chapter of my (first) series includes the cliche intro, but trust me, it will get unique later on. eue**

**_Please Review, those things are like my energizers, helping me continue the story! Thanks!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters._**

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_**Crash!**_ Brendan hit the back of the truck when it parked and hit a tree.

"Owww!"

"Honey, we're here!" said his mother. They had finally arrived. The Hoenn Region. The place Brendan had longed to explore. The pokemon, the scenery, the people, and everything else.

Brendan rubbed his head as he stepped out of the back of the truck. "I'm _finally_ out of that box prison," mumbled the boy. He had an orange-and-dark-grey shirt, with some gray shorts and pants underneath them. He wore a unique white hat and a green headband, hiding his black hair (most people mistook his hair to be his hat, he hated that, though). He helped carry some of the small boxes into the house.

"Okay, Brendan, you can set up your room now!" shouted his mom. The boy walked upstairs and placed his things where he desired. He looked at the family picture in his room, and was staring at his dad, Norman. They were brought to this region because he had been offered a job as a Gym Leader there. Although, as humble as a Gym Leader may seem, his dad didn't respect Brendan much. He leered at the picture.

"One day, I'm gonna beat you, Dad. I'm gonna be a great Pokemon Trainer, just you watch."

About an hour after finishing placing the items in the house, Brendan dashed out of the house, only to be stopped by his mother.

"Honey, I've got you a gift for when you start traveling." She revealed shoes.

"Shoes? _Really_, Mom?" complained Brendan.

"These aren't any ordinary shoes! These are Running Shoes. They help you run faster. Now, these were expensive, so you _will_ wear them!" she demanded.

"Fine," he said as he took off his old shoes and put on the new ones. His mom hugged him tightly. "I'll miss you too, Mom. Don't worry about it, I'll be safe." They said their goodbyes as he ran towards the lab at top speed (thanks to his new shoes). He was surprised to see that there was a sign on the door.

"SORRY, NOT IN RIGHT NOW, PLEASE COME BACK LATER." However, as soon as he read that, he heard what sounded like the cries of a grown man.

"Somebody help me, _please_! Ahhh!" Brendan ran over to the scene, finding a man in a lab coat being chased by two Zigzagoon. "You there! Grab a Pokeball from my bag!" The boy just stood there, confused. The man sighed and described in detail, "See that handbag lying next to that bush? Grab a red-and-white ball and throw it to get a pokemon to help me!" Brendan did as he was told, and a Mudkip popped out from the chosen ball. "Tell it a move! Uh, erm, try Tackle!"

"Okay," responded the boy, "Mudkip, use Tackle!" The small pokemon tackled one Zigzagoon head on. "Wait, there's two of them, this Mudkip can't take on both of them!"

As if on cue, a Torchic came out from a Pokeball, and used Scratch on the other Zigzagoon.

"What the-" said Brendan, only to be cut off by a girl commanding orders at the Torchic to attack the other pokemon.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help! Oh, my name's May, I'm this clumsy man's daughter. He usually gets into situations like these." said the girl.

"Okay, well, you take the one on the left, I take the right!" said Brendan. May nodded in agreement, and eventually, they both finished off the Zigzagoon.

"Thank you both!" The man in the coat then turned to Brendan. "I'm Professor Birch! What would be your name, young man?"

"Brendan," the boy simply replied.

"Well, thanks for helping get me free. As a token of my thanks, I'd like you to keep Mudkip," Birch stated.

"Thank you, sir! I'll take good care of him."

"I'm sure you will." The professor then whispered in his ear, "_I think you and May will get along together quite well, judging by how coordinated you two were in battle_." He raised his eyebrows. Brendan just gave him an are-you-kidding-me look. "Say, Brendan! Aren't you the boy that moved in today?" The boy nodded. "So you're the one that wants to become a Pokemon Trainer, like my daughter." He pointed to May. "Say! What if you two traveled together?"

Both Brendan and May gave a shocked expression at the same time. "WHAT?!"

"I don't want to be dragging the new guy around with me," complained May.

"I probably did better than you in battle!" remarked Brendan.

"Oh _yeah_?"

"Yeah!"

"Hey, hey, you two!" said Birch, trying to break up the fight. "Since Brendan is kind of new to this, could you please just bring him around with you for a bit, May? Show him how the Trainer business works?"

May looked at Brendan for a moment, then she said in defeat, _"Fine_... but don't be too much of a drag!"

"Same to you," said Brendan as he smirked. They both gave each other a stare of anger, but then it just resided to staring. Both new Trainers blushed a bit. The professor had to snap to get their attention.

"Okay, how about you both take off tomorrow! Both of you should get a good rest, so your energy is replenished for your journey. Well, I must get back to my research, see you kids around!" said Birch as he dashed off.

"Well, see you tomorrow then," said Brendan as he walked towards his house.

"Yeah." May walked in the opposite direction.

In their minds, they were both pretty excited.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back, readers! In this chapter, our two rookie trainers are off to start their travels!**

**_FinalPower: _****Hey, my first review! Thank you very much, will do! I will try to update every 1-3 days, so stay tuned!**

**_Please review if you can, I do love me some feedback!_**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters._**

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**_Thump._**Brendan fell out of his bed, awakened and startled.

"Seriously?! Do I have to hit my head at least once every day?" he moaned. The boy just laid there for a few seconds, wanting to sleep in more. Then suddenly, remembering that he was going to start his journey today, he jumped up and hastily shuffled about the room for supplies. He filled his bag with as much as possible, then snuck out of the house. He ran towards the town's exit.

"That impatient girl has probably left without me!" Brendan was surprised to see her standing there patiently, her eyes just wandering about. May then noticed that he had stopped right in front of her.

"Oh, you're ready now?" she asked with a somewhat motherly voice. He nodded. "WELL IT'S ABOUT TIME," she yelled as she smacked the back of his head.

"Owww!" whined Brendan. Looks can be deceiving. It was her trap. "Sorry, I slept in kinda late..."

"I knew you'd be a drag," remarked May, ignoring his excuse. "Let's just get moving to Odale Town. I know! How about we race there?"

"I-" Before he could say anything, she started counting.

"Three, two, one, GO!" shouted the female trainer as she dashed ahead of him. "Beat me if you can, _Slowpoke_!" Brendan just stood there for a few seconds, checking his watch. May looked back, confused, but kept running. All of a sudden, Brendan dashed straight past her (thanks to his running shoes), blowing her a kiss goodbye to insult her speed.

"WHA-?!" exclaimed May in shock. She didn't complain, she just ran faster, at full speed. "Cheater!" she yelled, running out of breath. "I know you're wearing Running Shoes!" Brendan smirked in response.

"Who's the Slowpoke _now_?" he shouted back at her. Of course, he was first to arrive, with May coming in around five seconds behind, which was pretty impressive, considering she didn't have Running Shoes like Brendan.

"That doesn't count," she said panting, punching the boy in the arm. He simply smiled. As they walked into the small town, the local Pokemart owner walked up to them.

"Hey there, lovebirds, would like me to show y'all around our fair-"

"NO!" yelled May, startling the poor man. "I've been here before," she lied, "and we're NOT a couple!"

_Some temper this girl has_, thought Brendan. He apologized to the market owner for her manners. May simply dragged Brendan by the wrist out of the area, not noticing anywhere worth visiting in Odale Town. Mid-way through Route 102, May insisted that they have brunch (breakfast/lunch) there.

"Had you any manners, May, we might have each earned ourselves a free Potion, but _nooo_, you had to get all stubborn like that. And couldn't we have rested in that small peaceful town? It's much more safer than on a route..." Brendan nagged on and on.

"I. Don't. Care. I'm hungry, we'll worry about the problems _after_ we eat." responded May, ignoring him. Brendan sighed in defeat, knowing it's nearly impossible to win an argument against her. Then karma acted upon itself to seek justice on the girl. Right before May took a bite out of her sandwich, a Wurmple bit into it. May dropped everything and ran behind Brendan.

"Ahhh! A creepy, crawly, slimy bug bit my sandwich!" whined the girl in fear (and some sadness that she couldn't refuel her tank).

"Aww, is somewone afwaid of itty bitty bugs?" teased Brendan.

"I hate them, I hate them, I hate them! Brendan, _pleeaaase_ get rid of it for me?" she asked in the cutest voice she could muster, with a tear down her right eye. Brendan chuckled. He simply threw a Pokeball at it (just eating his sandwich like nothing is happening), not even bothering to battle it, and quite frankly, it was caught.

"I'll name you Thorn (for the spikey-like surface of it's red skin)," Brendan calmly said.

May had hugged the boy from behind as a thank you. Brendan blushed, and after a few seconds, May, realizing what she was doing, quickly withdrew her arms from around him and started blushing, too.

"Heh heh, sorry about that..." said May shyly.

"...Eh, it's fine..." There was just awkward silence after Brendan's reply.

May was the first to break the silence. "Anywho, I think we should pack up and head to our first Gym!" Brendan nods and helps her put things away. Afterwards, they both walk towards Petalburg City, conversing about whether a Dragonite or a Charizard would win in a battle (causing arguments, nonetheless).

However, this time, they walked a little closer to one another.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! In this chapter, Brendan and May arrive at their first Gym in Petalburg City. However, they come across minor setbacks...**

**_Aaron Crimson:_**** Thank you, and of course I will (or try to)!**

_**A review from you readers always helps, I'd love to hear what you think!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters.**_

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**_Thwack!_** Brendan's face hit a tree branch as he browsed on his Pokedex (Professor Birch sent May and him each a Pokedex earlier).

"Why am I not surprised?" remarked the boy, rubbing his face.

"You shoulda payed more attention! See, look, we're here!" said May, pointing to Petalburg's entrance. They both ran inside, observing the fine surroundings of the city. Brendan stopped all of a sudden after reading the Gym sign.

"Oh no...This is my dad's gym. I highly doubt we can beat him yet. We hardly have any pokemon!" he said.

"You do have a point." replied May. "It says here that you should have at least four badges before coming to this gym... Darnit! I guess we'll have to skip this Gym for now. We should train, too."

"Yeah." Brendan simply replied. "How about we split up until...let's say sundown. We'll meet here in front of the Gym and discuss where we'll rest." May nodded and headed for Petalburg Woods. Brendan decided to head back to Route 2. When he arrived, he noticed a boy with green hair, battling a Raltz with a Zigzagoon.

"Uhm...How do I catch this again?" panicked the boy. Brendan tossed him a Pokeball from behind, hitting him in the back of the head. "Oww!...Wait, where'd this thing come from?" said the confused boy.

"I gave it to you," responded Brendan. "Sorry about making it hit your head, I thought you'd notice, heh heh... Simply throw that ball, called a Pokeball, at the Raltz once you've weakened it enough."

"O-Okay! Zigzagoon, use Tackle!" commanded the green haired boy (with newfound confidence that he knew how to do it). The pokemon did as it was told, and the Raltz was directly hit. He threw the Pokeball at her, and the wild pokemon was caught after a few seconds.

"Great job!" commented Brendan. "Oh, and my name's Brendan."

"Thanks, and I'm Wally." The boy said thankfully and somewhat shyly. The two boys shook hands. "Now, I must return this Zigzagoon to the man that lended it to me. I do hope we can meet again and battle sometime, bye!" said Wally, running off to the Gym.

"Alright, see you later!" said Brendan, waving. "So he borrowed that pokemon from my dad...I knew that Zigzagoon looked familiar. Ah, well, time to start training!" Brendan dashed into the deep grass as he sent out his Mudkip and Wurmple.

_-Several hours later-_

Brendan and May met at the Gym doors as the sun was setting. May had evolved her Torchic into a Combusken, caught a Shroomish, and caught a Tailow. Brendan still hadn't evolved Mudkip, but Thorn (his Wurmple) had evolved into a Cascoon. He also caught a Seedot.

"The Petalburg Woods were fun! Me and Torchic, or should I say Combusken, had a blast fighting and catching pokemon!" informed May. She was sweaty and smelled like dying plants, but she seemed happy. Brendan liked that.

"Mudkip, Thorn and I enjoyed our exciting training, and we found a new friend, too. I think we should take them all to the Pokemon Center." commented Brendan.

"Agreed. We all trained pretty hard, although I doubt you trained your pokemon to be as strong as mine," teased May as they headed to the PC.

"Yeah, right. Say that to Thorn, he evolved just like your Torchic. I'd _clearly_ win." Brendan protested.

After their pokemon were healed, they went to the Pokemart to buy supplies.

As they exited the store, May asked, "Alright, smart guy, where are we gonna sleep?"

"Hmm, maybe let's try asking some of the local people if we could borrow a room," suggested Brendan.

"Sleep in the same room with _you_? I need my privacy!" May complained.

"Well, it's that or no room at all." Brendan said, somewhat ticked.

"Then I'll sleep outside!" As if karma had heard their conversation, it started to rain.

Brendan smirked and said, "Are you _sure_?" May just sighed in defeat. They talked with an elderly couple, and they generously gave them their guest room. There was only one bed, however.

"I call the bed!" claimed the boy as he ran inside.

"Not if I get it first!" shouted May in response. They jumped onto the bed almost simultaneously, with May landing on Brendan's back.

"Oh heck no!" cried May, leaping off the bed, leaving Brendan just laying there in pain. Brendan got up, about to sass at her, but then he looked at her and paused. He grabbed some blankets, spread them on the floor, and slept there without a pillow. He didn't say anything. May just went ahead and went inside what covers were left on the bed. She felt sorry for Brendan, but she was grateful.

"Brendan..?"

"Yeah..?"

"...Thank you."

"Any time."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there, readers! In this chapter, our trainers head for the next Gym, but what awaits them in Route 104?**

**_Spelonberry:_**** I'm trying to base it off the games as much as possible, but I will try to add unique elements. As for the tear thing, May just faked that to get Brendan to rid of the Wurmple (eue). Thanks!**

_**Drexon:**_** Ah, I will try to do better with training thing next time, and thank you, I'm flattered!**

**_Aaron Crimson:_ Thank you, and I will try!**

_**Thank you guys for the great reviews, please keep 'em coming, they keep me typing!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters.**_

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**_Bonk!_** Brendan's Pokedex had fallen off the bed and landed on his head, awaking him. He tried to get up, but something was on him. It was May. She must've rolled off the bed. '_She looks so calm and peaceful when she's asleep. Kinda cute, too. Juuust a little._' Brendan thought. May started to wake up. She looked up and stared at Brendan, still half asleep. The boy blushed. After a few seconds, her eyes widened, and she darted off Brendan.

"AHHH! HOW DID I-?" shouted May. "...Let's pretend that never happened," she said, covering her reddened face. Brendan nodded in agreement, facing the wall to avoid eye contact, as his face was red as well.

After a few silent seconds, Brendan suggested, "I think we should start packing up and head to our next Gym."

_-A few minutes later- _

Brendan thanked the elders, and the two trainers headed into Petalburg Woods. As they entered, they noticed two men wearing blue bandanas and striped shirts, cornering a poor boy, a local trainer.

"Give us your Lotad and your Marill!" said one man. The boy didn't respond, he just sat there in the corner, shaking.

"We should help that kid!" said May, losing her cool. Brendan nodded and walked up to the thugs as they turned to face him.

"Hey, bozos! Catch your own Water-Types instead of making others miserable!" Brendan shouted. "If I beat you two, no, _when_ I beat you two, you guys better scram."

"_You're_ tellin' _us_ what to do? You're just a kid!" insulted one crook.

"Yeah! You're nothin' but a _white-haired wimp_!" remarked the other.

Brendan's cork popped right then and there. "It's A HAT!" He sent out Thorn and said back at them, "_We'll see_ who're the wimps after I _whoop_ both of your _a_-"

"Just put a sock in it so we can get rid of these chumps," interrupted May, sending out her Shroomish. The two men each sent out their pokemon; one was a Goldeen and the other was a Poochyena.

May gave out the first order. "Shroomish, use Absorb on Goldeen!" The pokemon did as it was told, and Goldeen was greatly damaged (due to the type disadvantage).

"Poochyena, use Bite on the wimp's Cascoon!" dictated the first thug. The Poochyena didn't do much damage, due to Thorn's high Defense stats.

"Thorn, use Poison Sting on the Poochyena!" shouted Brendan. The loyal Cascoon obeyed, and it directly hit, also poisoning the opposing pokemon.

"Goldeen, use Frost Breath on the Shroomish!" said the other thug. It slightly missed, to May's relief. One hit from an Ice-Type move like that would mean Shroomish fainting.

"Shroomish, one more Absorb should do it!" commanded May. The pokemon nodded, and it's attack knocked out the fish.

"Argh! I lost to a kid! Team Aqua will have their revenge!" the second man shouted, returning his Goldeen and running off.

Meanwhile, Brendan's Cascoon had survived another Bite from Poochyena. Thorn used Tackle, and that, along with the poison, knocked out the first man's pokemon.

"Seems that you're not a wimp after all," he said, scowling, returning Poochyena and following his partner.

"You better run!" shouted Brendan. He helped up the trainer in the corner, and the boy gave both May and Brendan a Rare Candy as thanks. May saved her candy for later, but Brendan used his on Mudkip; to his surprise, Mudkip evolved into a Marshtomp! The two travelers headed out after that.

"Hmm, I wonder what 'Team Aqua' is. The guy that battled me mentioned that name." wondered May.

"To me, they look like a bunch of pirate nut-jobs that just want to cause trouble," responded Brendan.

"Heh, it looks like it... They weren't much competition in that battle."

"Speaking of the battle... You did great back there, May." complimented Brendan.

"Hey, you didn't do too bad yourself," she responded, giving him a light punch on the arm.

As they headed out of the woods, both of them had a small smile on their faces.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the wait, readers! I just got lazy (and a little busy) and just hit that mood where you don't feel like doing anything (y'know those times?). Therefore, I will add a bonus just for you! ^^ In this chap, the two trainers challenge the Rustboro Gym at last!**

**_Aaron Crimson:_**** Thanks! Yes sir!**

_**Please keep reviewing, thanks much!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters.**_

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_**Crash!**_ Brendan ran into a figure entering Rustboro, falling down with books, gadgets, accesories, and the said person.

"My head again...dangit..." said Brendan, rubbing his head from it being injured, as usual.

"Oh, so sorry! I didn't see you there!" apologized a girl's voice. She lended Brendan a hand and helped him up. Brendan examined her; she had black hair with ponytails on the sides and a ribbon in the back, and she wore schoolgirl clothes. She also seemed roughly his age. "I was on my way to the Devon Corporation... My uncle is a scientist there, and he requested that I deliver these things to him."

"Ah, I see, and apology accepted." smiled Brendan. "I'm Brendan, and this here is my traveling partner, May," he said, pointing to the brunette. She waved, but she seemed to have a look on her face. Brendan just shrugged it off and helped the schoolgirl pick up the dropped items.

"Thank you," said the girl as she bowed. "My name is Roxanne. I'm the Gym Leader of this fine city. Judging by both of your clothing, you two must be Pokemon Trainers... Is that correct?" They nodded in unison. "Well, in that case, each of you can take one of these new Pokeballs crafted by Devon Corp. Please, take it, as an apology gift. There are plenty more in the building." She held out a Pokeball case and opened it so they could both chose one.

"If you insist, ma'am." replied Brendan. May chose a Luxury Ball and Brendan chose a Nest Ball. "Thanks."

"It was no problem, now, if you will please excuse me, I must get these things delivered. Farewell, Brendan! I do hope you'll battle me later!" said Roxanne, headed towards the large building on the north side of Rusboro City. Brendan waved, and so did May, but when the Gym Leader was out of sight, May spoke up.

"How come she only said _your_ name? How come _I'm_ not treated that nicely?" she said with a pout.

"...Wait, are you jealous?" smirked Brendan.

"What..?! Am not!"

"Are to!"

"Am not!"

After another minute or two of arguing, the boy suggested that they head to the Pokemon Center to heal their pokemon from the previous battle in the forest. They took a lunch break afterwards, and then they headed for the Gym. After beating pesky Youngsters in the path, the two of them met with Roxanne again.

"Hey, guys! Glad you're here! Alright, so who's going to battle first?"

The two trainers looked at each other for a second. They simultaneously said, "ME FIRST!" They decided with a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors that May would battle first.

As the battle raged on, they both reached their last pokemon. It was May's Combusken versus Roxanne's Nosepass. Nosepass kept using Earthquake (applying massive damage to Combusken due to the fact that Ground moves were super effective), but an exhausted Combusken finished Nosepass off with a Double Kick.

"In your face!" bragged May as she took the Stone Badge. Brendan walked up to the Gym Leader to battle next.

"Sorry about May's behavior, she tends to get like that, heh..." he apologized.

"That's alright, I don't mind much. Let's just begin our battle!" she replied.

Brendan won by a landslide, thanks to his Marshtomp. (A/N: She specializes in Rock Types, need I say more?)

"That was a good match," she said, giving Brendan his own Stone Badge. "Oh, Brendan! Here, take this TM, Rock Tomb. Say... Maybe you and I can meet again sometime, when you've completed your journey?"

Upon first hearing this, May was mad. '_Who does she think she is, that Miss Perfect, tryin' to steal Brendan from me!_' But then she became devasted. '_What if he says yes? Maybe he doesn't really like me... I'll be forever a-_'

"Thanks, but no thanks. When I complete my journey, I'm planning to settle somewhere like Lilycove City. Possibly with someone else, but... we can still be friends, if that's alright. I could still visit." Brendan responded.

"Oh, okay. See you, then." she said, a little crestfallen. Brendan gave her a quick hug and left with May. Roxanne smiled, feeling a little better.

Meanwhile, May was relieved and happy. '_Whew... I still have a chance... Wait... Settle with someone? Could that be me...?_' she thought with a curiosity and hope.

On the way out of the city, May just gave Brendan a peck on the cheek and dashed into Route 115. Brendan stood there for a minute, his hand on his cheek. He smiled and ran after her.

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**Now, for the bonus! Just to keep y'all satisfied. It's a little sad, though. Enjoy! ouo**

Roxanne sat on a bench in Rustboro, looking up at the starry sky. She sighed, petting her Omanyte. Brendan was a sweet boy, but she wouldn't want to take him away from May. It's obvious he liked her. Sadly, that left her with only her pokemon. Roxanne looked up at the moon and said, "Dad..? What do I do.. I wish you were here. At least you're with Mom..." Her father has passed away from a rock slide while researching on Mt. Moon (all the way in Kanto) a few years back. Her mother died from a sickness shortly after she was born.

The Gym Leader got up and headed inside Devon Corp. to talk with her uncle, who was researching late.

"Hey, Uncle..." greeted Roxanne.

"Hmm..? Oh, hello there, Bookworm (that was what he liked to call her). What seems to be the matter? I heard a little gloom in your tone."

"Well, there was this trainer boy... he liked someone else..."

"...Oh, a crush problem, huh..? I understand how you feel, that happened to me when I was young enough to be enrolled in the Pokemon School here. You'll find someone, I know it... I didn't, due to my focusing on my studies, but I'm sure you will. You're a beautiful young girl. And a Gym Leader, at that. I don't know what guy wouldn't admire that, at least a little bit." said her uncle.

She smiled and gave her uncle a hug. "Thanks, Uncle. I'll be at the Gym in my room. Bye!"

"Ah, alright, see you tomorrow then, Bookworm!" he responded.

On the way out of the building, she opened the door and headed to her Gym with a new confidence and hope.


	6. Chapter 6

**Aloha, readers! I've looked into X and Y recently; I'm really excited! Anywho, here, our trainers are traveling the long path (Routes 114 and 115) to get to their next stop, Fallarbor Town. But how long can they last before they reach civilization?**

**_Aaron Crimson:_**** I will try, thank you! Glad to see you're always reviewin'!**

_**The more [reviews], the merrier!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters.**_

* * *

_**Clunk.**_An apple landed square on Brendan's head. He didn't even complain this time, even though he hadn't seen what had hit him. He was tired. May was staggering ahead, with Brendan close behind. It must've been around one in the morning.

"...Can we rest yet?" asked Brendan with a yawn.

"We... Gotta... Keep... Going..." she said.

"But... It's better to rest... So we can travel more tomorrow... Er, later today..."

May turned around, staggered in front of Brendan, and told him tiredly, "Carry me..."

"...What?"

"We can..." May yawned. "We can take shifts..."

"I guess... That can work..." He replied. Right then and there, May fell asleep right in front of the boy, her face leaning on his chest. He sighed, picked her up, and carried her like a fireman. He made it about three steps before collapsing and falling asleep.

_-The next morning- _

"Ugh..." Brendan said, opening his eyes slowly. His head was rested on May's lap. She didn't seem to mind, because she was just sitting there eating breakfast.

"Mornin', sleepy-head! How was your sleep~?" she asked, stuffing scrambled eggs into her mouth.

"Hmm, good, I guess... What's with the happy tone?" he replied, sitting up.

"Nothin'~," she said.

"Come on, tell me."

"Well~... You said somethin' in your sleep! You must've enjoyed that dream, huh?"

Just as Brendan put scrambled eggs in his mouth, he spat them out. "What'd I say..?!" He took a big sip of water from his bottle. May then whispered in his ear.

"It was one of _those_ dreams." She giggled.

"...PFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!" he responded, spitting water all over the trail they had slept on. "Well, uh, it was a dream, it, uhm, didn't mean anything, my brain gets weird, and uhm, puts random things in there."

"Of course it does," she said, laughing. "Well, let's get going to the next town!" They began packing up, when Brendan checked his bag and noticed his Pokemon were gone.

"Hey May, are your Pokeballs missing too?"

"Whoa, yeah, they are! Who would be stupid enough to steal my pokemon?!"

Brendan heard a rustle in the bushes. "May! Look over there," he whispered, pointing to the bushes. They walked over to the rustling and tackled whatever was there.

"Zangoose, Zang!" The pokemon shouted in defense, scratching Brendan in the chest. It left a mid-sized cut that began to bleed. The Zangoose took off, dropping a Pokeball.

"Brendan!" she shouted in shock. "Grr, that Pokemon will pay for this!" she said, picking up the dropped Pokeball and running after the thief.

She stopped in front of a man with a red hoodie and long, gray shorts. There was what seemed to be an M in the center of the hoodie. "You could have done that better, Zangoose!" he scolded, facing the girl. "There must be no witnesses! Zangoose, use Metal Claw on the girl!"

As the Zangoose ran for her, Combusken came out of the Pokeball May held and drop-kicked the attacker. "Thanks, Combusken! Now, use Double Kick on the Zangoose to finish it off!" As the Combusken followed the command, the opposing pokemon was knocked out.

"You've won this time," said the man, returning his pokemon and throwing the Pokeballs back to May, "but next time, Team Magma will not be so easy to defeat!" He fled after that.

"Hah, of course they won't-Brendan!" She remembered, gathering the pokemon and running back to the boy, who had blood all over his shirt. "Brendan, are you okay?" she asked, worried.

"Ngh... I can live." he replied.

"Take off your shirt. Let me see what I can do."

"O-okay..." he slowly took off his shirt and winced. May stared for a few seconds, blushing. Then she realized why he had taken it off in the first place.

"O-oh, right!" she said, quickly shuffling through her bag for her First Aid Kit. "Found it." She took it out and opened it.

The girl then began to apply a cotton ball with alcohol on it onto Brendan's chest. Brendan winced and looked at her. As she slowly applied the cotton ball, she looked up at Brendan, resulting in another stare, this time one staring at the other. May's face got closer to his as both of their faces reddened more and more. Just as their lips were about to touch, a familiar face interrupted the moment.

"Hey Brendan! It's me, Wa-" Both May and Brendan looked at the green-haired boy and turned away from eachother, blushing extremely. Wally noticed what was about to take place and snickered.

"Oops. Sorry."


	7. Chapter 7

**Good day (or night, depending on the time you're reading this), readers! Sorry if my updating's a bit late, school's getting back in session, so I'm helping with supply huntin'. In the seventh chapter, our two trainers and their friend, Wally, arrive at the small town of Fallarbor and carry on their journey. However, there seems to be a crisis lurking around...**

_**moshe30350redstar: **_**Indeed... I may consider that, thank you for the idea!**

**_storyLover58:_**** Thanks! I will! (Great timing indeed, Wally..)**

**_Aaron Crimson:_**** Thanks, I'll try and keep working on it! (Yeah, curse you Wally! Why must you ruin everything! xD)**

**_Cutie pie:_ Heh, that's the idea.**

**Jupitergirl132: Oh thank you, that's great! (Team Flare does look kinda goofy, I will admit.)**

_**Thank you all for the great reviews, keep them rollin' in!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters... how many times have I said that now?**_

* * *

**_Clang!_** Brendan's head hit a gate when he was distracted, thinking about something. Or someone.

"Oww! What the..?" the boy noticed a paper attached to the gates and read it; "Sorry, but no visitors are allowed at this time. Please come back to Fallarbor Town another day!"

"Wait... What?" responded May behind him. "How are we supposed to pass through? What's up with that?"

"Well... From what I've heard, Fallarbor sometimes experiences minor volcanic eruptions, so that would explain the lockdown." Wally informed next to May.

"Hmm, alright then, how about we go through the trees around the town?" suggested Brendan.

"Sounds like a good idea, but it seems risky though.." commented the green-haired trainer.

"But hey, it's the only way to cross right now, we can't teach our pokemon Fly yet." he replied.

"Come on, boys, let's just get moving." said May, walking past the two. "_Today is the day,_" she thought, "_today, I'm gonna tell Brendan how I feel... But how..? Hmm, this coulda been easier without Wally here... I'm just... Ahh! Why am I so nervous!_"

As they all walked through the trees, they noticed a group of people about mid-way.

"Oh, great, it's those crooks with the red hoodies." insulted May, moving right in front of them.

"Hey! She's the kid that stopped me from getting those pokemon!" said one man in the back.

After May spat in one's face, that man shouted, "Grr, get her!" The girl ran as fast as she could, grabbing Wally and Brendan by the wrist. One of the red-hooded men grabbed Brendan's arm as he fell back.

"Brendan!" shouted May. The guy she liked was being captured. Of _course_ it had to be today.

As she went to turn around, the boy said, "May, don't look back! Just keep running! I.. I-mmph!" he was gagged and thrown into the back of their truck.

She ran with all her might, holding back a tear. She didn't care that Wally kept stumbling, she just ran as far as she could, and she stopped in the middle of Route 114, exhausted. The girl sat on a bench next to the green-haired boy and panicked. "Why would they take him? To take his pokemon? To turn him into one of them? To keep him hostage? Ugh, this is all my fault! I got us into this, I should never have blown our cover!"

"May..?" the girl ignored him. "May!" Wally shouted.

"What..?"

"Would Brendan want you to sit like this and complain about it? No! Let's get an officer and get looking for him! That organization belongs in jail!"

She was shocked, hearing this from a usually quiet boy. "...Yeah, you're right!" she replied with a shout.

_-Meanwhile, at Team Magma's Base-_

Brendan was thrown into a cell, with nothing but his clothes. He noticed his bag was gone, and his pockets were empty.

"Did you think we would leave you with anything?" said an unfamiliar voice. Brendan looked up to see a red-haired man with a serious face. He wore black and red clothes with an M on it, too. "You and that other girl have been interfering with our plans. It's a good thing my dim-witted grunts caught at least one of you. You see, we are trying to create more land, for more growth and life... For the good of mankind! We already have our Blue Orb to awaken the legendary Groudon. We will only borrow your pokemon for a really, really long time to help us with this objective. After all, I, Maxie, the leader of Team Magma, must keep my followers supplied with decent pokemon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must head back to my quarters."

When he was out of sight, Brendan took off his hat and a Pokeball rolled out. "Heh, looks like they didn't check everywhere." he smirked. The boy quietly sent out Marshtomp. "Okay, so I have a TM that I found along the path, it's called Dig. Now, how are we going to be able to reach my bag..?"

"Marshtomp, Mar!" said his pokemon, pointing to a stick on the ground.

"Hey, this could work, thanks bud!" he said as he picked it up. He carefully extended his arm out of the bars so the stick could go through the strap of the bag. It worked successfully as he slowly pulled the stick back, taking the bag off the table that wasn't too far away. Brendan cautiously dropped the bag in front of the bars so he could reach into it. He took out TM28 and taught it to his pokemon. "Alright, use Dig and get us out of here!"

"Marsh!"

_-Back to May, Wally, and a search party-_

"Well, we looked everywhere around these Routes, but we still haven't found them," said one officer.

"Oh..." said May, crestfallen. "I hope he's alright..."

"Did you miss me?" asked a familiar voice.

May turned around and saw Brendan standing there. She gasped and ran up to him.

"Brendan!" she shouted, hugging him tightly. "You idiot, you had me so worried!"

"Heh, I missed you too." he replied, hugging back. May blushed at this, but still kept hugging him.

"Hey, uh, I don't mean to interrupt, but, uh..."

Brendan sighed. "What do you want, Wally?" he replied, releasing the hug.

"What's that orb in your hand?"

"Well..." he said with a smirk.

_-At the Team Magma base-_

Hurry, my subjects! The authorities came pretty close to discovering our base! Pack up and get moving! I'll get the o-" Maxie noticed that the Blue Orb was missing. "Where is the orb?!" He quickly scurried to the cell, finding it empty. He looked at the table and the bag wasn't there.

"Aaarrgh!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the table.


End file.
